Master Gardeners now accepting applications for upcoming training class

The Gonzales Master Gardeners are currently accepting applications for this fall’s Master Gardener training class. Classes are scheduled every other Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 9, 2025, and will run through May 5, 2026.

To accommodate holidays and spring break, a slight variance in class scheduling may occur. Classes will be held at PACE: Plantatarium A Center for Exploration located at 623 N. Fair Street in Gonzales.

The Texas Master Gardener program is an educational volunteer program conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System designed to teach a broad fundamental background in horticulture. Classes provide a solid scientific foundation as well as practical and applied training.

Subjects include, but are not limited to, topics such as botany, plant fertilizers, tree diseases, home fruit and nut production, how to start and grow plants and cuttings, rainwater harvesting, and how to install and maintain irrigation in the most water efficient manner.

Master Gardeners contribute time as volunteers, working through their county’s Texas AgriLife Extension office to provide horticulture-related information to their communities. The Gonzales association conducts the training classes under the supervision of County Extension Agent Dwight Sexton.

The fee for the class is $200, which includes the costs of the Master Gardener Handbook and other training materials, a soil sample test, and entrance fees for class field trips. For more information or for applications, call Karen Bauer Smith at 512-587-8856 or Marcella at 830-672-8531. Applications can also be picked up at the AgriLife Extension Office located at 623 N. Fair Street in Gonzales. The deadline to submit a completed application and fee is Sept. 2.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides equal opportunities in its programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts Cooperating. Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation in the class should contact the County Extension Office at least one week prior to the class or event to request mobility, hearing, visual or other assistance.